shopping specific colors

Okay, so I like clothes shopping. And I especially like thrift store clothes shopping. Because it's much more affordable and less wasteful than new, of course, but also because it's more fun. There's so much more variety, so many surprises! You're not just stuck with the choice of whatever (probably ugly) style is popular at the moment.

But thrift store shopping, and any other kind really, can be a bit overwhelming. And there's always the danger of buying something you will never, ever wear. While there's lots of tricks for preventing this (only shop for what you actually need, think about which clothes you wear most often and buy similar ones, etc.), I came up with a new one recently that's been really helpful.

I've started buying only two colors, other than your basic black, white and denim. I picked my favorite two colors of course! For me, that's blue and green. I'm a winter, so I looked good in a lot of those lovely deep jewel tones, but I don't always feel like wearing all of them. I've found, for instance, that though I look well in burgundy, I often don't want to wear it. I don't know why; I just happen to find it a slightly depressing color.

But I always, always, always am in the mood to wear blue and green (the versions of it that go well with my coloring, that is). To me, wearing blue and green is shorthand for thinking about sky and trees, and that's just never bad. So I decided I'd just buy those two colors, and, hopefully, eventually, everything in my closet will match. (Though I admit, that there's been at least one instance since I instituted this rule when I bought something, well, pink. But I figure if it's gorgeous enough that I notice it when I'm not looking for it, well, I'll make an exception.)

In the short term, what it's done has been to make clothes shopping a lot easier. Thrift stores aisles aren't nearly as overwhelming if you're only keeping your eyes open for variations on two shades.

So . . . yeah! I'm sure everyone out there would pick a few different colors (and hey, maybe your "basics" would be tan and grey rather than white and black), but limiting my wardrobe to my favorite colors sure works for me!


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell